5.19.08 Deep Thoughts on the Desperate Housewives Finale
I really enjoyed it. I love it when shows do longer finales! Gary Cole
(most famous for his role as Bill Lumbergh in Office Space) was excellent as Katherine’s creepy and psycho ex-husband, Wayne Davis, but it wouldn’t it have been so neat if his dying words were, “Ahh, I’m gonna need you to go ahead and come in to work on Saturday, mmkay?” hehehe I’m sure it’s been hard for Cole to live down his most famous role as Lumbergh (I know the correct spelling because I have read SO many papers on him in the last year by my students). FYI, for any college age readers out there, if you’re writing a paper for a class about a fictional character - take the extra 30 seconds to make sure you’re spelling his/her name correctly!
Anyways, I was reading some other people’s reactions to Cole’s guest-starring role online and someone made a good point that he has the ability to create a menacing presence, although in very different ways, on both DH and Office Space.
As a side note, I also think it would be neat for Orson, who played Trey in Sex and the City, to say “Alrighty” at some point in the series. Marc Cherry, if you’re reading this that would be such a neat shot out/omage to SATC fans who watch your show. I also find it interesting that Kyle MacLachlan portrays the husband of both Charlotte and Bree, who appear to be analogous characters in comparing those two shows. But then, Marc, you were inspired by SATC in creating DH. The central point of difference being that while on SATC the women shared everything - on DH the women have HUGE secrets they go to great lengths to hide.
5.17.08 Office Finale
In fun news I had a little get together for The Office finale. The last five seconds of it were especially exciting for me because I do love me some Dwangela. I’m happy for Paul Lieberstein as I had read in some articles that he works 16 hour days during the taping of The Office and he originally hadn’t planned on being in the show, but had a few lines in a couple episodes that went over well and so they further developed his character. I’m sure he’ll enjoy the greater “work-life balance” he has in his life. I’m especially strong fan of Paul because he was a lead writer for Clarissa Explains it All - the most awesomest show on Nickelodeon and by far my favorite from back in the early 1990’s.
In the strange category, there’s an ice cream truck that goes around my neighborhood way too much. Since the weather got remotely decent, we’re talking above 55 degrees or so, it passes at least 3 times a day. My neighborhood is mostly college students. I wonder if it makes any money? Maybe it’s just passing on it’s way to more child friendly areas on the northeast side of town. Also filed under annoying noise, someone in my complex has a car that definitely needs to be fixed! It sounds like a diesel engine or something - lots of rumbling. With the windows being open because of the nice weather I hear him/her all the time.
5.06.08 Dissertation Proposal - Check!!
Well, I proposed my dissertation and it went better than I had expected. It felt more like a working research group meeting than a defense. Even better than that the committee thought I had too many hypotheses and my model was larger than it needs to be for the dissertation. I cut out the dependent variables they requested I eliminate (but still include a couple in data collection for pubs/exploratory questions) and I really love that what I’m testing now is so much simpler. I went out for Italian with friends for dinner on Friday to celebrate, and also had an Irish coffee when I got home after my meeting. I pretty much took the weekend off and only finalized grades for my class. I’m meeting with Jon Stewart today to discuss research projects and the dissertation revisions.
Anyways, it was great to have the proposal go so well and I’m looking forward to a relaxing and super productive summer. I got the first job ad via email forward that applies to me (Fall 09) so that was exciting. I have the whole summer and fall to focus exclusively on research, diss. and job applications. Hopefully that will make all the other tasks much more manageable and allow me to devote as much time as I need to applications.
4.28.08 New Frames!!
These are the glasses I picked out today! I've wanted rectangular frames like these to where instead of contacts a few days a week for awhile now. I usually sleep with my contacts in and should try to get them out of my eyes for at least two nights a week according to my optometrist. This should motivate me to do that.
4.22.08
I haven’t posted in awhile, because I’ve been SO busy. I got my dissertation to committee last Friday. Now the wait begins!
My Mom came to visit last Wednesday and left Saturday. With the conference the weekend before, dissertation pressure and doing things with Mom, I was super tired this weekend. It was so nice just to chill on the couch for awhile! I watched the first disc of the first season of The OC. I’m excited that it started in 2003, because I’ll have five seasons to get caught up with.
I’m trying to be productive today. I did a bunch of non-essential tasks: made brownies for my students and did some reading. I also made a cute card for my friend who is defending her prelim tomorrow. I need to get feedback to a student asap tonight and then maybe read a paper that I’m a coauthor on with my advisor.
I’m really enjoying The Paper on MTV. I can relate to the main character (is that the right word for reality tv?). She’s not accepted by the other editors on the paper staff and is super-ambitious. I can relate to that. It’s on around The Hills (a show I can’t get into and infinitely annoys me every time I see it).
OK - off to get things done! My last class EVER as a student is tomorrow - yay!!
4.11.08 I'm going to be a discussant!!
I just went to a couple of neat conference sessions this morning and came back to my room for a break. I checked my email and had TWO messages from a conference division chair for August conference asking me to be a discussant for two paper sessions! When I volunteered to be a reviewer for said conference it asked me if I would be interested in being a discussant or chair. I thought, sure, if Conference Organization wants a GRAD STUDENT to be a discussant, why the heck not? I honestly didn’t think it would happen. I’m confident I checked my status correctly, a graduate student done with prelims but not yet proposed (although I will be proposed in just a couple weeks!).
4.11.08 In which I am SO upset to be in the Western Time Zone!
It’s 10pm eastern time and I still have 1hour and 45 minutes until I can see the new Office episode! I accidentally ran into a blog post about “The Dinner Party” episode online and wondered - how the heck has this person seen it already?!?! Then I realized I’m on the west coast for a conference and it’s past 10pm everywhere else. I also happened to be on the NBC store, looking for cheap things for my upcoming Dissertation Proposal Office-themed celebration and saw this “Serenity by Jan” stuff and couldn’t for the life of me figure out what the heck it was or referring to! From what I read from the blog entry it’s something from tonight’s episode. I tried not to be tempted and only skim what I saw of the blog so I wouldn’t ruin the surprise of tonight - but I did read that they’re continuing the tension between Jan and Michael following “The Deposition” episode.
4.3.08 - A meeting of my not so itty bitty dissertation committee - I has it!
*My attempt at LOLspeak - and om age to the itty bitty kitty committee*
I will be defending my proposal May 1st or 2nd! yay! April is going to be kuh-raz-eee! I have a conference on the other side of the country next week, my Mom is visiting the week after that, and my paper is due to committee when she visits. Dr. Advisor (Jon Stewart in the Dream Committee) says I can ask for the weekend if I would like (because the meeting would likely be on Friday) and give the draft to them on Monday, but I’m not sure if I want to do that yet.
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